CEBR1-12
Use of Molecular Marker For Identification of Local Pathotypes of Cereal Cyst Nematode And Identification of Resistant Wheat Genotype In Saudi Arabia
Researchers:
Prof. Abdullah A. Al-Doss
Prof. Ahmad S. Al-Hazmi
Prof. Ahmed A. M. Dawabah
Dr. Ahmed L. Abdel Mawgood
Dr. Solaiman Al-Rehiayani
Dr. Solaiman Al-Otayk
Dr. Mohamed Motawei
ABSTRACT:
Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae Woll.) is the most dangerous and damaging pest that limits wheat production in the major wheat-producing regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Qassim and Hail). It causes a drastic reduction in yield in heavily infested fields and increases production cost when treated with expensive nematicide. The cereal cyst nematode (CCN) in Saudi Arabia was identified as H. avenae based on morphological and morphometrical features. The pathotype of the nematode is believed to be similar to the pathotype Ha21 found in Europe. Wheat cultivars grown in the Kingdom today are susceptible to CCN . Therefore, a breeding program was recently initiated in the college of Food and Agriculture sciences to select resistant lines to this pest.
This project aims to utilize molecular markers to identify the local pathotypes of the CCN populations in Saudi Arabia. The project also aims to screen local wheat lines for resistance genes using specific primers developed for known resistance genes to aid in the development of resistant cultivars in bread wheat.
Soil and root samples from infested fields will be collected from the major wheat producing regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the growing season. DNA will be extracted from femals and white cysts, and PCR will be preformed using ISSR and microsatellite primers. In addition, morpholgical and morphometrical features of CCN will be examined and recorded, and pathotype characterization will be determined using a standard test assortment of barley, oat and wheat cultivars. Local cultivars of bread wheat and resistant sources from CIMMYT will be screened for resistance in controlled environments, and specific primers for known resistance genes to CCN will be used to identify resistance genes.
This project will determine the pathotype of CCN in Saudi Arabia and help in the identification of resistance genes in Saudi wheat cultivars.
OBJECTIVES:
- Molecular characterization of the cereal cyst nematodes (CCN) populations collected from the wheat-producing regions of Saudi Arabia based on RFLP and sequences of the ITS region of rDNA.
- Investigation of the presence of genetic variation in CCN resistance among F2 populations using DNA markers.
- Identification and mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for CCN resistance in F2 populations.
- Selection of most the highly productive wheat lines with significant resistance to cereal cyst under Saudi conditions.
- Pyramiding resistance genes in the most yielding lines of wheat in order to achieve the CCN resistant that last a longer time.